We've all heard the warning that people gain a ton of weight during the holidays. I remember reading somewhere that it's closer to 1 or 2 pounds than the oft-cited 10 pounds, but still: as someone who has lost weight and managed to keep (most of) it off, I can tell you that 1 or 2 pounds is nothing to sneeze at.

So I found this article on how to save some serious calories at holiday gatherings practical and realistic. A few of the tips:

Eat this
12 Large Cocktail Shrimp w/ Cocktail Sauce
165 calories
1 g fat

Not that!
1 Crab Cake
290 calories
19 g fat

When it comes to cocktail parties, it's important to know your crustaceans. In this case, you can have a dozen huge shrimp and 125 calories to save for a rainy day, or you can have one measly crab cake. Not such a tough choice once you know the facts.

Seems reasonable to me. I also learned that yummy pecan pie is basically extra pounds on a plate:

Eat this
Chocolate Fondue With Angel Food Cake
340 calories
10g fat

Not that!
One Medium Slice Pecan Pie
610 calories
45g fat

In the wide world of holiday pies, nothing is worse than a slice of pecan. True, some of the fat is healthy, from the nuts themselves. Most of these calories, though, come from the filling, which is a sickly sweet sludge of corn syrup and sugar.

Sigh. Why must all the stuff that's awful for you taste so darn good?

I am guilty of slacking in the exercise department this holiday season, and I haven't given much thought to how many tamales and cookies I have eaten. But I like being armed with this info on how to make healthier choices while not depriving yourself of holiday treats. I'm a firm believer that everything in moderation is OK. It keeps me from fixating on what I can't have and then losing all control later on.

What about you ladies? Do you remain conscious of your diet and exercise during the holiday season, or do you let loose and enjoy? What about the kids? Do you limit their candy cane consumption or let them stuff themselves with Christmas cookies? Maya is eating more sweets than she usually does, but not an unreasonable amount. and it turns out she doesn't care for candy canes.

We're heading to brunch at my brother-in-law's, followed by dinner at my MILs...and there will be a fair amount of munching involved. :-)

Merry Christmas, all!